The Effect of Collective Teacher Efficacy and Expectations on Student Achievement in High ...

173 Pages·2012·1.4 MB·English

The Effect of Collective Teacher Efficacy and Expectations on Student Achievement
in High-Poverty Elementary Schools in the State of Missouri

Jennifer E. Patterson
B.S., Missouri Western State University, 1998
M.S., Northwest Missouri State University, 2001

Submitted to the Graduate Department and Faculty
of the School of Education of Baker University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree

Doctor of Education
in
Educational Leadership

April 13, 2012

Copyright 2012 by Jennifer E. Patterson
Dissertation Committee

Major Advisor

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Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine the nature of the relationship
between a faculty’s collective efficacy and student achievement in communication arts
and mathematics. An additional purpose of this research was to determine the nature of
the relationship between a faculty’s collective expectations for student learning and
student achievement in communication arts and mathematics. The sample for this study
was Missouri elementary schools with a free and reduced lunch rate of more than 70
percent that participated in the Missouri School Improvement Program Advance
Questionnaire during the academic years of 2009-10 and 2010-11. The independent
variables of collective efficacy and collective expectations for student learning were
measured using the Advance Questionnaire. The dependent variable of student
achievement was measured using the percentage of students scoring in the Proficient and
Advanced proficiency levels on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests in the
content areas of communication arts and mathematics from the academic years of 2009-
10 and 2010-11.
Analysis revealed mixed results for the relationships existing between collective
efficacy and student achievement in communication arts and mathematics in high-poverty
elementary schools in Missouri. A positive relationship exists between collective high
expectations for student learning by faculty and student achievement in both
communication arts and mathematics in high-poverty elementary schools in Missouri.
School administrators can use the results of this study to focus professional development
efforts toward creating a positive impact on student achievement. Recommendations for
further research include extending the study to include all Missouri elementary schools
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and examining the relationship between individual teacher efficacy scores and student
achievement. Additionally, the student responses to the Sense of Efficacy and
Expectations Scale of the Advance Questionnaire could be used to determine the
relationship between student self-efficacy and student achievement.

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Dedication

This dissertation is dedicated to my husband, Todd, and to my sons, Ian and Alex.
The blessings they offer me each day with their loving support are more than I could have
imagined. Without them by my side, this journey would not have been possible.

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Acknowledgements

“Remember your upbringing” are wise words written by my father at the
conclusion of my senior year, and ones that I am reminded of at the end of this journey
toward the culmination of my doctoral degree. To my parents, James and Sheryl George,
I want to thank you for providing me the kind of upbringing that is worthy of
remembering, centered on the importance of education and striving toward excellence.
To my in-laws, Jan and Al Patterson, I thank you for the support you gave our
family as I took on this endeavor. You stepped in and picked up our children from school
and daycare every Wednesday for two years so that I could make the commute to class on
time. I will never be able to repay you for the peace of mind you granted me to know
that the kids were taken care of and well-fed.
To my husband, Todd, words cannot describe the depths of my emotions for you
and your support throughout this time. You never uttered a word of complaint about my
lack of presence on Wednesday nights or during my weekend writing stretches. You
knew when to offer encouragement and when to just smile and say nothing. Your
prowess with Excel never ceases to amaze me as it saved me hours of calculating data by
hand.
To my sons, Ian and Alex, I want to thank you for enduring long hours of time
when Mommy was working on her “big paper.” You are my daily source of inspiration
and the reason that I began this journey so that I could show you the value of working
toward and achieving a major goal. My hope is that my work may have inspired you to
one day do the same.
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I owe much to my advisor, Dr. Elizabeth Ann Sanders, whose precision in reading
and revising my work allowed me to produce a dissertation of which I am proud. You
pushed me toward excellence in a gentle but demanding way, and I thank you for it. To
Peg Waterman, the statistical warrior, I owe much gratitude for helping me to decipher
the meaning in the numbers. Your guidance was deeply appreciated. To the other
members of my committee, Dr. Carolyn Doolittle and Dr. Laura Nelson, I thank you for
your input and assistance in helping me to reach a life-long ambition. To Kay Haas,
thank you for your careful editing and revising assistance. I truly appreciate your input
and support.
To my St. Joseph School District colleagues in Cohorts 6 and 7, thank you for
providing a base of support throughout the writing process. To Jasmine Briedwell and
Jeremy Burright, my Wednesday evening commute buddies, thank you for making the
drive to Overland Park so enjoyable every Wednesday. I will be forever grateful that this
doctoral journey brought us together as friends.

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Table of Contents
Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii
Dedication ............................................................................................................................v
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ vi
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. viii
List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... xi
Chapter One: Introduction ...................................................................................................1
Background ..............................................................................................................2
Statement of Problem ...............................................................................................3
Purpose of Study ......................................................................................................5
Significance of Study ...............................................................................................5
Delimitations ............................................................................................................6
Assumptions .............................................................................................................7
Research Questions ..................................................................................................7
Definition of Terms..................................................................................................8
Overview of the Methods ........................................................................................9
Organization of Study ............................................................................................10
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature .............................................................................11
Achievement Gaps Between High-Poverty and Low-Poverty Schools .................11
Impacts of Poverty on Student Achievement.........................................................15
Teacher Preparation and Retention in High-Poverty School Environments .........22
Resilience of Teachers in High-Poverty Schools...................................................25
Self-Efficacy ..........................................................................................................25
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Collective Efficacy.................................................................................................30
Connection Between Teacher Efficacy and Student Achievement .......................36
Connection Between High Expectations and Student Achievement .....................41
Characteristics of High-Poverty, High-Performing Schools .................................46
Summary ................................................................................................................52
Chapter Three: Methods ....................................................................................................53
Research Design.....................................................................................................53
Population and Sample ..........................................................................................54
Sampling Procedures .............................................................................................55
Instrumentation ......................................................................................................55
Measurement ..............................................................................................58
Reliability and Validity ..............................................................................60
Data Collection Procedures ....................................................................................64
Data Analysis and Hypothesis Tests ......................................................................65
Limitations .............................................................................................................69
Summary ................................................................................................................70
Chapter Four: Results ........................................................................................................72
Descriptive Statistics ..............................................................................................72
Hypothesis Testing.................................................................................................74
Additional Analyses ...............................................................................................82
Summary ................................................................................................................97
Chapter Five: Interpretation and Recommendations .........................................................99
Study Summary ......................................................................................................99
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Overview of the Problem ...........................................................................99
Purpose Statement and Research Questions ............................................101
Review of the Methodology.....................................................................101
Major Findings .....................................................................................................102
Findings Related to the Literature........................................................................104
Conclusions ..........................................................................................................111
Implications for Action ............................................................................111
Recommendations for Future Research ...................................................115
Concluding Remarks ................................................................................116
Summary ..............................................................................................................117
References ........................................................................................................................118
Appendices .......................................................................................................................131
Appendix A. Sense of Efficacy and Expectations Scale of the Faculty Advance
Questionnaire ..................................................................................................132
Appendix B. 2009-10 Elementary Schools Included in the Sample ....................134
Appendix C. 2010-11 Elementary Schools Included in the Sample ....................138
Appendix D. Faculty Version of the MSIP Advance Questionnaire ...................143
Appendix E. Sample Frequency Distribution Report for the AQ ........................149
Appendix F. Critical r Values ..............................................................................154
Appendix G. IRB Application .............................................................................156
Appendix H. IRB Approval .................................................................................161

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